Eustecia Herman
46 Caribbean Life, June 21-27, 2019 BQ
HEALTHCARE AWARDS
When learning about Eustecia
Herman’s career history, one
fact stands out — she loves
children. When Herman left her home
of St. Lucia and moved to Brooklyn,
she worked as a nanny for many years.
One can say that this was the beginning
of career trajectory. She began
taking classes at St. Joseph’s College,
eventually graduating as the valedictorian
and earning a Bachelor of Science
degree in Healthcare Administration.
As a college student, she began
working full-time at Weston United,
an organization that serves New
York City’s most vulnerable residents,
including those struggling with homelessness,
mental illness and substance
abuse. Exhibiting a strong work ethic,
ambition, and focus, she was hired
by Weill Cornell Medicine, one of the
most prestigious medical college hospitals
in the entire United States.
Following her passion for helping
children, Herman founded UNIK for
Education, Inc., an organization that
helps underprivileged children in St.
Lucia by providing them with the
financial means to attend secondary
school. Funds go to parents to purchase
books and uniforms.
Herman is also the secretary of
Project Education, an organization
that delivers thousands of book bags
filled with supplies to St. Lucian students.
She has also volunteered her
services to the St. Lucia Consulate as
a member of the Gospel Fest Committee.
With such dedication to improving
the lives of others, it is no surprise
that Herman won a community service
award at the Consulate General
of St. Lucia 40th Independence Gala
& Award ceremony, as well as a community
support award from the Girls
United Foundation, a nonprofit based
in Toronto, Canada.
Michelle Joseph
St. Lucia-born Michelle Joseph
says she has been passionate
about healthcare for quite some
time; in high school, she had interest
in nutrition, social work and healthcare
administration.
But one thing was certain: she
wanted to work with people, and help
to improve their health and well-being.
In 2013, Joseph earned a Master’s
Degree in Health Care Administration,
with a concentration in the Sustainability
of Health Care Organizations.
She’s is currently the practice manager
of the Elmont Family Health
Center — LIFQHC. The Long Island
Federally Qualified Health Care Centers
(LIFQHC) has 10 comprehensive
health centers throughout Nassau
County.
During her tenure at the Elmont
Health Center, Joseph says she has
worked hard to improve the efficiency
and effectiveness of services, and
has successfully reduced patient wait
times by 33 percent – from 90 to 60
minutes.
She says she has successfully
piloted numerous initiatives, such as
the Maternal Depression Screening,
Developmental Milestones and most
recently the use of signature iPad,
which is being used to expedite the
patient registration process.
Having worked in the health care
industry for 50 hours per week, for the
past 17 years, she says the best piece
of career advice she has everreceived
is: “When you love what you do, you
never really work.”
If she had one superpower, Joseph
says it would be “the power to go back
in time.”
“I would relive some of my greatest
moments and change some of my
worst,” she says.
Dr. Vilma Joseph
Born in Brooklyn to an Antiguan
born father and a mother
whose parents migrated from
St. Kitts, Dr. Vilma Joseph is an Associate
Clinical Professor of Anesthesiology
at Montefiore Medical Center /
Albert Einstein College of Medicine in
the Bronx.
She is the first minority to be the
hospital’s director of quality improvement
and the first anesthesiologist to
be on the quality improvement committee.
Dr. Joseph is also the first minority
clinical director of the Weiler Campus
Operating Room and currently chairs
the Sedation Committee.
She is on the board of directors of
Nutribee, an organization designed to
improve childhood health.
She donates operative equipment to
the Caribbean, and is secretary of the
Bronx and Westchester branch of the
National Medical Association.
Dr. Joseph is president of the
Anesthesiology Foundation of New
York and a member of the equivalent
committee of the American Society of
Anesthesiologists. She also chaired the
Patient Safety and Quality Improvement
Committee for the New York
State Society of Anesthesiologists
(NYSSA). She serves as the first Caribbean
American female president of
the NYSSA.
Dr. Joseph, who has 30 years of
experience, says she spends 60-70
hours per week on the job.
She says the best piece of career
advice she has ever received is: “Get
your doctorate in whatever career field
you pick.”
She would like to be “flash,” when
asked if she had one superpower, what
would it be and why.
Dr. Joseph says “flash” would enable
her to “work quickly on the simple
things and slow down for the important
aspects of life.”